Rutherford Weekly

Thursday, March 10-March 16, 2022 www.rutherfordweekly.com 828-248-1408 Rutherford Weekly - Page 9 We Want Your Outdoor Photos! We Want Your Outdoor Photos! Hunting, Fishing, Playing Ball, Etc. Hunting, Fishing, Playing Ball, Etc. Sportsman's Corner Sportsman's Corner Email: events@rutherfordweekly.com Mail: 157 W Main St., Forest City, NC 28043 Phone: 828-248-1408 *Publisher has the fi nal decision of which photos appear in print, per available space. The end of February and the beginning of March is not normally a time outdoor activities come to mind. Deer hunters are gathering up the remains of the last season and the turkey season is still a few weeks away. So, what's a guy/gal to do? Well, for starters, the fi shermen are loving every warm day. They know big bass are caught this time of year, and that it's also a great time to check the river for the walleye run while they're waiting on the best days for crappie. It's really a full season for fi shing if one can line up the nicer days with the actual days one can fi sh. For a few more weeks we could have weekend temps from the teens to the sixties. There's no doubt, the lakes and rivers will be full of fi shermen, on every sunny weekend. They may have to shake the ice from the eyes of their fi shing rods, but they will be there meticulously waiting on that familiar tug. And the plan for those in the lakes will be to fi sh slow. The water is cold. The fi sh move a little slower. The bite might not be aggressive. It might be just recognizing a slight pull that becomes the difference in a solid hook set or never knowing you had one on. Slow fi shing is how I learned to fi sh. In my younger days, I only knew plastic worm fi shing and rarely used anything else. This time of year, the worm was replaced with a jig of some kind, but it's still presented slow… and patiently… and consistently. My mind goes to another, more important thing, that I think works best when it is presented slowly. That is the claims of the gospel of Jesus. In the past, not only was the presentation fast, but the bait was wrongheaded. The presentation was a well-worded prayer, and the bait was a ticket that kept one out of Hell. Not only did we fail to portray a real relationship with God, but we centered the reason for a relationship around the choice between Heaven or Hell. We simply scared people into an unhealthy relationship. And many left it for several different reasons. Our gospel was bad news. Jesus' gospel was good news. We presented the wrath of an angry God. Jesus presented the love of a heavenly Father. We demanded a decision. Jesus desired a disciple. We want three minutes with someone. Jesus wanted three years. We can't change our city with a house of worship on every corner. Jesus changed the world with twelve men. I've often said if I had to do it over, I would spend more time with less people. Because strong relationships are built slowly. It is the same with one's relationship to God. To know him is to love him. And knowing takes a slow, patient, and consistent presentation. If you would like to get weekly updates on Outdoor Truths events, sign up on my website. Outdoortruths.org. Also, I'd love to speak at your next wild game dinner or men's event. By By Gary Miller Gary Miller Aiming Outdoorsmen Toward Christ GARY MILLER ROSS ROSS WINDOWS WINDOWS THE BEST FOR LESS! CALL FOR ESTIMATE 828-437-4848 • DOUBLE PANE • FULLY WELDED • FREE LOW E GLASS ARGON GAS LIFETIME WARRANTY ©Community First Media Community First Media "up to 101 u.i." CALL FOR $$$BEST PRICE$$$ A new nature preserve with old growth forest and exceptional wildlife habitat has been protected in the Hickory Nut Gorge. The 57.6-acre Chestnut Hills preserve in Gerton adjoins Conserving Carolina's popular Wildcat Rock hiking trail and is visible from the dramatic rock overlook on that trail. On Tuesday, March 1, Conserving Carolina purchased the mountain property with plans to protect it forever with a conservation easement. Conserving Carolina intends to manage this land as a nature preserve in order to sustain its rich biodiversity and the beautiful scenery enjoyed by so many hikers. Land Protection Director Tom Fanslow says, "The tract is north facing and provides a cool, moist refuge for species adapting to climate change, and the soils support a richer diversity of plants. Because the forest hasn't been cut in over a century we know this older growth forest is storing many tons of carbon, and as a nature preserve the forest will continue to soak up carbon dioxide for centuries to come." Chestnut Hills is one of the rare tracts in Western North Carolina that was spared from industrial logging. And, for a century or more, virtually no tree cutting has occurred on the property. With its mature forests, rushing stream, boulders, and rock outcrops, the land offers rich and diverse habitat for many plants and animals. Among these are three kinds of rare salamanders, all in danger of extinction in North Carolina. With its connection to other protected forests, shaded slopes, and variety of habitat types, the preserve may serve as a refuge for species that are shifting their range in response to climate change. State agencies have identifi ed Chestnut Hills as a top priority for conservation. Nearly all of the preserve is part of a natural area ranked as "exceptional" by the NC Natural Heritage program. The property also scored 10 out of 10 in the Biodiversity and Wildlife Habitat Assessment conducted by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Lori Williams, a biologist with the Wildlife Resources Commission, says "Preserving biodiversity in such special place as the Hickory Nut Gorge remains a top priority for conservation efforts in western North Carolina. Chestnut Hills and other protected properties help ensure the survival of rare species for the future, including some that are found nowhere else in the world." The new preserve connects to over a thousand acres that Conserving Carolina has already protected in the upper Hickory Nut Gorge. This block of protected lands includes the Wildcat Rock Trail, Bearwallow Mountain Trail, and Florence Nature Preserve—all part of the 100+ mile Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail that Conserving Carolina is spearheading. The extraordinary Chestnut Hills preserve helps to ensure that these hiking trails will always be surrounded by beautiful, unbroken forests. Conserving Carolina purchased the land from Dr. Jim Earnhardt and his sister-in-law Barbara Earnhardt. The purchase was made possible by generous contributions from Esten and Burt Walker, Fred and Alice Stanback, the Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation, and the N.C. Land and Water Fund. Chestnut Hills fi rst came into the Earnhardt family in 1945 when Irwin Earnhardt (the father of Jim and Barbara's late husband, Gene) purchased it, along with a business partner named N.C. English. There was a neighborhood of summer homes on the property, currently a community with 36 houses. The property also included the "upper acreage" that is now protected. Development of that tract was never seriously considered. Barbara says, "They really believed in preserving land. I remember Irwin saying, they're not making any new land. Irwin was really kind of a farm boy and he liked land." A generation later, Jim says, "We just didn't want to see it developed." Jim recalls that when his family fi rst acquired the property, you could see the crowns of dead American chestnut trees standing above the other trees in the forest. Chestnut trees, for which this land is named, were killed by a blight in the early 20th Century—although efforts continue to breed a blight-resistant variety and bring back the once dominant tree in our Southern forests. The Earnhardts have planted experimental chestnut saplings in the Chestnut Hills neighborhood and on the nearby Florence Nature Preserve. Barbara says that her family was inspired by the example of Dr. Tom and Glenna Florence, who protected that preserve, where she has spent many hours hiking. Another reason the Earnhardts chose to conserve their forest was to protect the springs that provide a key water source for the Chestnut Hills neighborhood. By extension, they see this nature preserve contributing to clean water sources far downstream, in the rivers that fl ow through the Piedmont. Jim and Barbara and their families grew up hiking in these woods, discovering breathtaking wildfl owers and occasionally a rattlesnake. Now retired, Jim and Barbara both live in the Chestnut Hills neighborhood. Their grown children appreciate the magnifi cence of the protected forest, Barbara says. She says, "I feel patriotic about the land and its care." She sees this conservation project as preserving the heritage of Native people, whose presence is recalled by the projectile points found there, especially near the spring. The land also carries the history of the great American chestnut trees, which once turned whole hillsides white with their blossoms. Now, the land's history and its natural heritage will be carried forward for future generations, including hikers on the upper Hickory Nut Gorge trails. Conserving Carolina is a local land trust that has protected over 47,000 acres, in Henderson, Polk, Transylvania, and Rutherford counties and the Landrum, S.C. area and helped to create over 35 miles of trails and fi ve local greenways. New Nature Preserve Protected in Hickory Nut Gorge Article Provided By: Jean Gordon. Photo: conservingcarolina.org View from Wildcat Rock overlook. Offi cials with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission say this is an excellent time of year to examine the outside of your home for openings, loose siding, gaps and other crevices that active wild animals may enter as the weather warms. "The past few weeks have been all about keeping the cold out. Winter weather gives us a good incentive to hunker down, plug up any drafts and turn up the heat," said Falyn Owens, extension biologist with the Wildlife Commission. "But those drafts will have another potential consequence when spring arrives – they can welcome wild critters looking for shelter to come inside." If not properly sealed, openings for air vents, pipes and wires can become thoroughfares into your home for small rodents and the animals that prey on them, like snakes. Snakes prefer to not live inside occupied buildings, but if they are looking for a meal, they will follow scent trails left by mice and rats. Once inside, snakes may be unable to make their way back out. Rat snakes, in particular, are common around homes and are excellent climbers. Be sure to inspect the outside of your home for small gaps above ground level (e.g. eaves, chimney, vents). Seal any holes or gaps you fi nd, and for holes that need to be left open (e.g., vents), install vent covers and screens designed to allow air fl ow but keep wild animals out. Blocking off access points that lead under your home is also important. Pregnant foxes and skunks are attracted to the readymade shelter that crawlspaces provide. One of the most common complaints received by the staff at the NC Wildlife Helpline each spring is about foxes denning under porches, sheds and barns. "By the time we get the call, usually someone is seeing a fox with its pups running around in the yard and they want the animals relocated," Owens said. "Laws designed to prevent the spread of diseases such as rabies make relocating foxes and skunks illegal. We usually recommend alternatives like waiting a few weeks for the animals to leave on their own, or approved tactics that convince the animals to speed up that process. However, it would be great if these confl icts could be prevented in the fi rst place." For climbing species, attics can be convenient shelter for raising young. Raccoons and squirrels will jump from overhanging tree limbs onto roofs, and if they fi nd damaged shingles or siding, they may try to get inside. Winter is an excellent time to trim limbs and branches to no closer than six feet of any buildings. This will keep most climbing species in the trees and can also reduce potential building damage from falling or scratching branches. Owens adds, "Wild animals looking for a safe place to get out of the rain, heat, or cold can make a mess if they get inside. A thorough inspection of your home's exterior and making any necessary repairs before springtime goes a long way to help wildlife fi nd more natural places to raise their young." If you have questions about wildlife confl icts or experience a wildlife problem, the Commission's NC Wildlife Helpline webpage is a valuable resource. Article by: ncwildlife.org. One of the most common complaints each spring is about foxes denning under porches, sheds and barns Winter Home Repairs Keep the Cold, and Unwanted Wildlife, Out

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